The old building of the Mariñamasa School Home – a student residence in Ourense, built in 1970 by the architects Emma Ojea and Walter Lewin – was turned into a center for research and innovation in vocational training.

After an analysis of the abandoned building’s structure and construction, the decision was made to maintain the outer enclosures, all the openings, and the metal frame. Existing slabs, large-span beams, and some pillars would be reinforced to comply with current regulations addressing matters of resistance and deformation.

The project’s main strategies included: installing an extensive green roof with irrigation and rainwater-collecting systems incorporated, besides photovoltaic panels; improving the building's energy efficiency through high-performance thermal insulation; creating two new vertical circulation cores; and covering the courtyards on the ground floor to create four large work areas. This level is reserved for activities requiring heavy machinery or greater ceiling height. On the second floor, with both fixed divisions and mobile partitions that allow for large unobstructed spaces, are the classrooms, laboratories, and meeting rooms.